Total Education Blog

We are very fortunate that past student of the school, Dr Indra Nordstrand, is returning to address the graduates and parents at our graduation ceremony and parents seminar on Sunday 20th November 2016. Most parents and newer teachers will not know Indra, who graduated from The School of Total Education herself in 1989 and went on to study medicine at the Flinders University of South Australia. After developing an interest in Cardiothoracic Surgery, Indra completed postgraduate studies in surgery at the University of Queensland and specialist surgery training in Victoria to ultimately become one of a few female Cardiothoracic Surgeons in Australia.

At the end of last term, the primary school brought to life the classic folk tale The Pied Piper of Hamlyn in musical form. The children played to a packed Vijayadev Yogendra Auditorium two nights running and performed beautifully.

"Existing modern education is not education to produce happy individuals..." the Dalai Lama states "[The] existing modern education system is very much oriented in material values, external values, completely neglecting about our inner values."

We often say that The School of Total Education is a living community. One of the ways that aliveness is engendered is through the encouragement of communication - not just between teachers and students but between teachers and parents. Deputy Principal Judy Currie was asked by one of the parent groups to talk about this recently. This is transcript of her talk.

The APN press recently ran an article by Dr Ali Black, a lecturer in early childhood teacher education at the University of the Sunshine Coast. The article was titled ‘Is Curriculum Pressure Killing Student’s Joy?’. In it Dr Black reflects on her experience of her daughter not wanting to return to school because of a general lack of joy in the classroom.

The Year 12 presentation to the combined parent meeting last Friday night was on the topic Risk Taking. The students worked in pairs and provided humorous but thoughtful insights into why they might take risks and the upsides and downsides to the behaviour.

"Why is the idea that the pursuit of self-centred happiness will lead to contentment so adhesive? I wake up every day newly baptised into the cult of individualism. I wish I was more like my mum or my nan, who find joy in nourishing others". So writes Russell Brand in his book 'Revolution'.